Shoe sole



Nov. 6, 1934. AYB LT 1,919,391

SHOE SOLE V iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii:

Patented Nov. 6, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHOE some Harry Laybolt, Brockton, Mass., assignor to Plymouth Rubber Company, Inc., Canton, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application August 5, 1933, Serial No. 683,788

11 Claims. (CI. 36-32) This invention relates to a molded shoe sole of the sole. The taper in thickness from the median resilient material such as rubber or the like. An line toward the side edges is preferably more proobject of the invention is to provide a non-slip nounced in the shank portion of the sole than sole which, while suitable for various kinds of in the ball and heel portions. As a result of 6 shoes, is more particularly for athletic shoes such this, the sole, when on a shoe, gives the appear- 0 as shoes for basket ball. ance of an instep arch at the shank of the sole;

A sole embodying the present invention is char but at the same time provides a continuous cenacterized by a. lateral flange of reduced thickness tral line of support for the instep of the foot extending around the contour edge of the ball by contact of the shank portion of the sole with ,portion of the sole, and also, if desired, around the floor along its median line. As a. result of 65 the shank and heel portions, this flange being of the difference of thickness between the mid reduced thickness and being flush upon its upper portions and the edge portions of the. ball and surface with the upper face of the sole. This heel ofthe sole, the circular ridges or rings on flange is intended to hold the stitches by which the central portion of the ball and heel are the the sole is sewed to a shoe upper. Since the 'firstto wear. As these wear down, the circular 70 flange is ofreduced thickness, its lower face is ridges and craters nearer the edges of the ball offset from the lower face of the sole so that the and heel become effective so that the non-slip stitches exposed at the lower face of the flange characteristics of the shoe sole are retained are thus kept out of contact with the floor and through a considerable period of wear;

saved from wear. In sewing a sole of rubber Shoe soles embodying the invention are also 75' or similar resilient material to a shoe upper, and characterized by an increase of thickness at the more particularly in sewing the flange of 9. ends thereof, this being for the purpose of offflanged rubber sole to a shoe upper, the material setting the extra severity of wear which usually is liable to creep under the action of the sewing, occurs at the toe and heel of shoes, especially machine, causing more or less gathering-of the athletic shoes.

sole at its margin which distorts the finished For a more complete understanding of the inshoe. According to the invention, such creeping vention, reference may be had to the descripof the sole or flange is obviated by the provision tion thereof which follows and from the drawof an uneven lower face on the flange itself. ing of which 30 More specifically, I may provide on the lower Figure l is a bottom plan view of a shoe sole g5- face of the flange a series of corrugations or embodying the invention.

spaced transverse ridges to prevent such creep- Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figing under the action of the sewing machine, but ure 1. the invention is not limited to any specific con- Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figfiguration of the bottom face of the flange. ure I.

Another object ofthe invention is to provide a Figure 4 is a fragmentary section on a larger non-slip bottom surface for the ball and heel scale, this section being taken on the line 4-4 portions of the shoe sole. To this end, I mold the of Figure 1. sole with the bottom face of the ball. portion Figure 5 is a fragmentary section on the line substantially covered with small raised rings or 5-5 of Figure 1. circular ridges which surround and define shal- Figure 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Figure 1. low craters, the bottom centers of these craters Figure '7 is a bottom plan of a shoe sole. of a being approximately in the same plane as the slightly difierent form. surface areas between adjacent rings, or slightly Figure 8 is a section on the line 88' of Figabove such plane. The heel portion of the sole ure '7 100,

may also, if desired, be considerably covered with Figure 9 is a bottom plan view of another modisimilar rings or circular ridges. fied form of shoe sole.

It is afurther object of the invention to provide Figure 10 is a section on the line 10-10 of a sole of varying thickness such that the thick- Figure 9.

5 ness tapers gradually from the longitudinal me- The sole illustrated in Figures 1 to 6 inclusive 105 V dian line of the sole toward both side edges, the is preferably a molded sole having a ball portion taper in thickness from the center of each edge 10, a shank portion 11 and a heel. portion 12. being relatively small but sufficient to cause in- The sole is preferably made of a layer 13 of soft itial wear of the sole to take place along the longiresilient rubber on the bottom, and a layer 14 of tudinal central portion of the ball and heel of stiffer material,-such as a rubber andflber mixno ture, on the top, these layers being molded-together in a unitary structure. As shown in Figure 1, a flange 15 may extend around the entire periphery of the sole, this flange being integral with the sole and projecting laterally from the contour edge thereof. As indicated in Figures 2, 8 and 6, the upper face 17 of the flange 15 is flush with the upper face of the sole itself, the lower face 18 of the flange being upwardly offset from the lower face of the shoe sole, so that, when the shoe is resting on the floor, the lower face 18 of the flange is spaced from the floor and the stitches exposed thereon thus protected from wear. The lower face 18 of the flange is made uneven in order to avoid creeping of the edge of the sole,

when it is being sewed to the shoe upper. The unevenness may be obtained in various ways. As shown, it consists of a series of ribs or ridges 20 extending transversely across the lower face 18 of the flange.

The ball portion 10 of the sole is preferably provided on its bottom face with a number of rings or circular ridges 25 surrounding and defining shallow craters 26. These rings may be of the order of inch or so in diameter. The bottom centers 27 of the craters 26 are approximately in the same plane as the surface areas 28 between adjacent rings 25, but these craters may be slightly offset from the plane of the area between the rings, as indicated in Figure 4. The rings 25 are molded integral with the sole itself and serve to grip the floor or other surface upon which the shoe is used.

The shoe sole may be further characterized by varying thickness. As indicated in Figures 3 and 6, the thickness of the sole on any transverse section thereof is maximum at the center as at 30 and tapers off slightly toward the side edges as at 31. This tapering towards the side edges may occur for substantially the entire length of the sole, the amount of taper being preferably of the order of one or two irons. As indicated in Figure 2, there may also be a gradual thickening of the sole toward the toe end as at 33 and also toward the heel end as at 34. This provides. extra material for the sole at the two points which are subjected to severe wear, especially when the sole is used on a gymnasium shoe or the like. This increase in thickness toward the toe and heel ends of the sole may result in an increase of thickness of the flange 15 at thetoe and heel ends of the sole as at 35 and 36, the distance of offset between the lower faces of the flange and sole being constant throughout the entire length of the flange; or the extra thickness may, as shown in Figure 10, result in a greater distance of offset between the flange and sole faces of the toe as at 38, the thickness of the flange 15 remaining constant throughout.

Figures TI and 8 illustrate a shoe sole similar to that illustrated in Figure 1, except that it has a heel 40 of the wedge type, this heel being of considerably more substantial thickness than that illustrated in Figure 1.

In the form of sole illustrated in Figures 9 and 10, the heel portion 45 is made with a plane lower face having no flange on its periphery. This heel portion is adapted to receive a separate heel which can be secured thereto in the usual manner.

It is evident that many modifications and changes may be made in the details of structure shown and described without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:--

1. A shoe sole of resilient material having a lateral flange of reduced thickness on the edges of the ball portion thereof, the lower face of said flange having an uneven surface whereby creeping is prevented when the sole is beingsewed to a shoe upper.

2. A shoe sole of resilient material having a ball portion, a shank portion and a heel portion, a laterally projecting flange of reduced thickness around the entire contour of the sole and flush with the upper surface thereof, the lower face of said flange having an uneven surface whereby creeping is prevented when the sole is being sewed to a shoe upper.

3. A shoe sole of resilient material having a lateral flange of reduced thickness on the edges of the ball portion thereof, said flange having corrugations on the lower face thereof whereby creeping is prevented when the sole is being sewed to a shoe upper.

4. A shoe sole of resilient material having a lateral edge of reduced thickness on the edges of the ball portions thereof, said flange having a series of transverse ridges extending across the lower face of said flange, whereby creeping is prevented when the sole is being sewed to a shoe upper.

5. A shoe sole of resilient material having ball, shank and heel'portions, and a lateral flange on the entire contour edge of said sole, said flange having its lower face offset upwardly from the bottom of the sole, said lower face of the flange having an uneven surface, whereby creeping is prevented when the sole is being sewed to a shoe upper.

6. A unitary molded shoe sole having a bottom layer of soft rubber and a layer of stifier material, said sole having a lateral flange of reduced thickness on the edges of the ball portion thereof, the lower face of said flange having an uneven surface whereby creeping is prevented when the sole is being sewed to a shoe upper.

7. A unitary molded shoe sole having a bottom layer of soft rubber and a layer of stifler material, said sole having a lateral flange of reduced thickness on the edge of the ball portion thereof, said flange having its lower face offset upwardly from the bottom of the sole and provided with transverse ridges whereby creeping is prevented when the sole is sewed to a shoe upper.

8. A molded shoe sole having a gradual taper in thickness from the longitudinal median line toward both side edges, said sole having the bottom face of the ball portion thereof substantial- 1y covered by integral ridges surrounding and defining small shallow craters.

9. A molded shoe sole having a gradual taper in thickness from the longitudinal median line toward both side edges, said sole having the bottom face of the ball and heel portions thereof substantially covered by integral ridges surroundlongitudinal extremities thereof.

HARRY LAYBOLT. 

